Thermal protector and alarm.



, PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906.

F.B.0O0Ki THERMAL PROTECTOR AND ALARM.

I Arruourox FILED ps0. 18, 1902.

PATBNTED MAR. 13, 1906..

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FRANK B. COCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THERMAL PROTECTQR AND ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

u Application filed December 18, 1902 Serial No. 135,677,

and carbon lightning-arresters are employed In conjunction with each other, so as not only to rotect the circuits and instruments against ightning discharges or high potential currents, but also against the intrusion of currents only slightly in excess of normal, sometimes called sneak-currents.

Generally stated, theob'ect of my invention is to provide a' simpie, comparatively chea and highly efficient protector for electrlca circuits.

A special object of my invention is to provide an improved alarm circuit whereby each heat-coil when operated b excessive ,ning-arresters which it may be current will cause a loca alarm to e sounded.

It 1s also an object to provide certain details and features of improvement tending to increase the general efiiciency and service ability of a protector of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

In. the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of my improved protective ap aratus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the evices shown in Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 in Fig 1 I ig. 4 is a diagram of my improved alarm-circuit. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of one of the heatcoil devices.

I Both the heat-coils A and the carbon lightning arrestcrs B are arranged in rows or banks upon opposite sides of the metal plate .or support C. This plate or su port can be of any suitable or desired len t according to the number of heat-coils an carbon lightdesirable to support thereon. ,The means for separating these "'cll-known protective devices consists, preferably, of a lower row of rods of insuatmn D, which are inserted transversely through openings. in the metal plate C. These rods are preferably rovided with metallic cores (5, which, as wi 1 be observed, are provided with a number of nuts d.

M im roved protective apparatus can be emp oye for an desired purpose. For example, it may e employed in connection wit. telephone-exchanges for the purpose of protecting the switchboard apparatus againstexcessive current. In vsuch case the lines rings E and F are preferably insulated from t e cores (1, while the switchboardesprings G are electricall connected. with said cores. The switchboar -sprin s H at the other side can be insulated from t ese cores. terminal e can be part of the line-spring E, while the other line-termina'lf can be'electrically connected with the line-sprin F throu h the medium of a metallic sleevef. lhe switcIi board-terminal k can be part of the switchboardespring H, while the other switchboardterminal g can be electrically connected with the switohboardspring G through the medium of the core 0?. it will be understood that this ,is the arrangement and construction adopted for each of the rods D. With this arran e out the cylindrie heat-coil de-.

vices A, win 1 are preferably provided with grooved heads, can be remova 1y applied to the notched upper ends of the line and switch-v board springs. .Thus the line and switchboard springs are arranged in pairs,, each pair consisting of one line-spring and one switchboard-sprin and the members of each pair being normal y held under tension by a cylindric heat-coil device. In this way all currents traversing the line-circuits are compelled to pass throu h the heatecoil devices, and consequently t e latter are capable of openin a circuit upon the intrusion of a current on y slightly in excess of normal.

The heat-coil devices can be of any suitable or a proved construction, but are preferably of the form or character shown in Fig. 5. In this figure it will be seen that the two metallic heads a and a are connected throu h the medium of the two stem portions a an a and the intervening solder or other fusible material a. stem portion a is preferably insulated from the head a by a mass of insulating material a A heating-coils is preferably wrapped around the two stem portions thus connected by the fusible materlal, one terminal of this coil being connected with the head a, while the'other' terminal is connected with the tu- The end of the tubular The line:

IIO

the switchboard apparatus.

"with the said .metallic rods.

and solder, the heating-coil, and two h are all connected .111 series. in ow upon the assage of a current above thenormal the seating-coil a will develop sufiicient heat to adapted to make contactwith the brass: mounting-strip b when the said springs are i released by the breaking or giving way As the i preferably of the connections in the heat-coil devices. metallic plate or support C grounded at X, the abnormally large current is then afforded a conducting-path to ground. Thus each heat-coil, in addition tobeing capable of opening a line-circuit upon the encroachment of a dangerous current, is also adapted to connect the line'with a conductor which leads to ground.

In order that the attendant may know when a heat-coil is operatedor burned out, each heat-coil device is associated with means for closing the circuit of a local alarm. This is preferably accomplished by separating the pairs of hue and switchboard springs by means of rods 1, which are of rubber or other insulating material and which are inserted through openings in the metallic plate C.

The opposite end portions or'these insulatingrods I are connected by metallic rods i. Auxiliary line-springs e and are associated with the said line-springs and arranged in po sition to be normally held lhe local alarm J and the battery can be connected in series, and the normally open circuit can terminate at one end in the rod it and at the other end in the metallic plate C. Vr'ith this arrange merit the circuit of the local alarm is normally opentliat is to say, is open while the heat-coils are all in place and in their normal condition-but when one otthese heat-coil devices is operated by the passage of an excessive current then the released line-spring moves toward the plate C, carrying the auxiliary line-spring with it. The auxili ny line-spring then making contact with the metallic rod i serves to close the circuit local alarm, thereby causing given. Thus the said local circuit when "scd includes the metal plate and the line-spring, electrically connected with the said plate through the medium of its contact. 'lhis circuit arrangement is simple and prevents crossing ol' the circuits. l urthcrmore. it

each line-spring i a signal to be I in; :1 linc-s the latter when rolcnscd being I 'bular stem a Thus the separable conductor will,

eads

This of I l l l l i l l out of contact 1 plate, heat-coil dcviccs xi n scrics adapter be seen that it onlyhreeessitates the use ol one metallic contact-rod at each side.

The carbon lightning-arresters B can be of the welldrnown type or construction, in which each arrester consists of a pair of iarbon blocks 7), separated by a mica or other dielectric b. Each pair of blocks. with the interposed dielectric, is preferably held in place by a second auxiliary line-spring c or f, as the case may be. Thus one block of each pair is electrically connected with the line, while the other block of each pair is connected with the grounded plate or support C. Consequently a lightning disclu rge or other high-potential current will be conducted T0111 the line to ground through the medium of one of the ligzhtning-arresters, the current arcing across from one carbon block to the other in the well-known manner. Thus the plate C is adapted to form part of both the local alarm-circui ground.

hat lclaim as my invention isl. A protector, comprising a flat metal plate, heat'coil devices mounted at each side of said plate, carbon lightning-arresters mounted along the edge of said plate, and a local alarm-circuit having a plurality of nor mally open switch-points in series adapted to he closed by the operation of any one oi said heat-coil levices, said metal plate forming p'ari of said local alarm-circuit and each heatcoil device having a line-spring adapted when released to constitute part oi the alarm-cir cuit.

2. A protector, comprising a flat metal suitably mounted at each side ol' said plate, carbon lightning-urrcsters mounted along the edge of said plate, a comluctor connecting said plate with ground, and a local alnrm-circuit having a plurality oi normally open switch-points in series adapted tobcclosed by the. operation of any one ol said heal-coil devices, said plate serving as part ol both the almn1circuit and the connection to gromid, and' the groundcircuit including one of said switch-points and each heat-coil device having a line-spring adapted when released to constitute part of thealarm-circuit.

3. A protector, comprising a metal sup port. heat-coil devices suitably mounted on sold support, end a local ulmun-circuil luiv in a plurality of normally open s\\itcl\-points l to be closed by the operal tion oi any one oi said heal-coil devices, said of the i platc, line no metal support scrvin; alarm-circuit and each heat-coil device havrin 1 adapted when released to constitute port ol' the alarm-circuit.

l. A protector, comprising a llni metal plate. rods ol' insului ion inserted thr ugh said d su'i hhourd springs mounicd real-coil devices rcniovablr upsaid springs, and a l cal as a part ol' said local on said rods, l plied to the cinls olplatefline and switchboard springs mounted,

alarm-circuit having a plurality of normally open switch-points in series adapted to be closed by the operation of an one of said heat-coil devices, said metal p ate, and also each of said line-sprin s, being adapted to form part of said local a arm-circuit and each heat-coil device having a line-sprin adapted springs being adapted to serve as a part of,

saidlocalalarm-circuit. J

6. A protector, comprising a fiat -metal upon said plate and insulated therefrom, a single metallic contact-rod mounted at each side of said plate and insulated therefrom,

auxiliary line-springs normally held out of contact with said -metallic rods, heat-coil devices removably applied to the ends of said line and switchboard spri'n s, and a local alarm-circuit adapted to be c osed by the operation of any one of said heat-coildevices, the said metallic contact-rods,and "also the said line and auxiliary springs being adapted to serve as a part of said local alarm-circuit.

7. A protector, comprising a flat metal plate, line and switchboard. springs mounted upon said plate and insulated therefrom, metallic contact-rods mounted upon the said plate and also insulated therefrom, auxiliary line-springs normally held away from said metallic contact-rods, heat-coil devices removably applied to the ends of said line and switchboard springs, and a local alarm-circuit adapted to be closed by the operation of any one of said heat-coil devices, said metal plate and also said line and auxiliary springs and metallic contact-rods being adapted to serve as a part of said. local alarm-circuit.

8. A protector, comprising a flat metal plate, line and switchboard springs mounted upon said plate and insulated therefrom, two auxiliary line-springs associated with each line-spring and electrically connected with the latter, carbon lightningarresters normally held in place on said metal plate by certain of'said auxiliary line-springs, metallic contact.rods normally out of contact with the other of said auxiliary line-springs, heal coil devices removably applied to the ends of said line and switchboard springs, a conductor connecting the said metal plate with ground, and a local alarm-circuit adapted to be closed by the operation of any one of said heat-coil devices, said local alarm'circuit includingsaid metal plate, and each of the said heatcoil device removably applie auxiliary line-springs which are held nor mally away from said contact-rods being adapted to serve as part or said local ala r nvc rcuit.

9. In a protector, a heat-coil device, comprising the heads a and. c, the mass oi insulation a the tubular stem c having one end buried in this mass of insulation, the inner stem a electricallyconnected with the head a and inserted in the said tubular stem, the

' solder a for uniting saidstems, and the hcatin -coil a wrapped around said stems, the so der and heatmg-co1l being connected in se ries.

10. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a metallic support, an inner line-spring and an, outer switchboardspring suitably mounted on said suiport, a heat-coil device removably applie to the ends of said springs, a norn'ialiy open round circuit including said support and inner s ring, and a normally 0 en alarm-circuit in c uding said support an inner line-spring.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a metallic support, an inner line-spring and an outer switchboardspring suitably mounted on said su port, a to the ends of saidsprings, a normally 0 en groundcircuit including said support an one of said sprin s, and a normally openalarnrcircuit incl u ing said support and said inner-linespring. 12 In a device of the character described, the combination of a metallic support, an inner line-spring and an outer switchboardspring suitably mounted on said support, a heat-coil device removably applied to the ends of said springs, a normally opengroundcircuit including said support and one of said springs, and an alarm-circuit normally open at two points and including said support and line-spring. i

13. In a device of the character described, the combination o'l a metallic support, line and switchboard springs suitably mounted on said support, a heat-coil device. suitably applied to said springs, and an alarm-circuit norm ally open at a plurality of point s and in cluding said support and line-spring.

14. In device of the character described, the combination oi a metallic support, an. electrothorn'ial cut-out suitably mounted on said support, said cut-out including a linespring, and an alarm-circuit normally open at a plurality of points and including said support and line-spring. j 7

15. A thermal protector and alarm apparatus, con'iprising a metal support, line and switchboard springs mounted in pairs at each switchlmnrdtermin:1ls connected with the 230 switchboard-springs and all mounted at the line-spring when released being adapted to constitute part of said ground-circuit, and a normally open alarm-circuit, each line-spring when released being also adapted to constitrite-part of the alarm-circuit.

16. A thermal protector and alarm apparatus, comprisinga metal support, line and switchboard springs suitably 'mofr'nted on said support, suitable heat-coil devices 'applied to said springs to normally hold them under tension, a normally open round-circuit' including said support, each line-spring when released being adapted to constitute part of said ground-circuiaand an alarm-cir cuit normally 0 en at two points, each linespring when re eased being adapted to also constitute part of said alarm-circuit.

17. A thermal protector and alarm apparatus, comprising a metal su port, line and switchboard springsmounted ons'aid support, suitable heat-coil devices applied to the said. springs to normally hold the same under tension, a normally open ground-cirduit including said sup ort, each line-spring when released being aclltpted to constitute part of the said ground-circuit, and an alarm-circuit normally open at two points and includin said su port, each line-spring when released being a so adapted to constitute part of the said alarm-circuit.

18. In a device of the character described, the combination of a metallic support, line and switchboard Springs mounted in pairs at each side of said support, heat-coil devices suitably applied to said springs, a normally open alarm-circuit including the line-springs,

line-terminals connected with the line-springs and all mounted at one side of said su port, and :switchboard-terminals connected the said switchboard-springs and all mounted at the other side of said support. I

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 11th day of December, 1902.

l FRANK B. COOK.

Witnesses:

HARRY S. BAUMGARTNER, WM. A. HARDERS.

with y 

